Hobart Whitley

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Hobart Johnstone Whitley, "The Father of Hollywood", (October 7, 1847–June 3, 1931) named and developed the area today known as Hollywood, California.

[edit] Overview

HJ, a typical nickname of the time, is what Hobart Johnston Whitley was called by his colleagues. He was well known by the locals as a developer, mover and shaker of Los Angeles area. HJ was instrumental in motivating the movie industry to move to his new town of Hollywood. He formed several groups of businessmen which benefited by his expertise in developing the modern cities of his time. He formed a group of local business men to purchase the Van Nuys Lankershim lands of the San Fernando Valley. This was his move to get the land annexed to the City of Los Angeles for the water needed to sustain the big valley development that he was about to accomplish. HJ is well known in the history of the Western United States. Hobart was a good friend of Theodore Roosevelt while in the Dakota Territory and he was a member of the board of directors of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad in late 1800's. He developed over 140 towns in the West for the railroad and his benefit. HJ was at the Oklahoma Run and traveled to Washington, D.C. to persuade the U.S. Congress to allow the city of Guthrie to be the new capitol of the state of Oklahoma. HJ Whitley's accomplishments are being brought to the light for his great contributions to the cities that he was apart of.